This invention relates to crop harvesting machinery and, more particularly, to harvesting of fruits or vegetables growing at or near ground level, or on low plants, in spaced, individual rows.
Special machinery has been devised to automatic partially or fully the harvesting of many different types of food crops. Often such machinery is unique to a particular crop, being especially tailored to the harvest of one type of produce and unsuited for use with any others. While the present invention is disclosed in connection with the harvesting of tomatoes, it may also be employed in the harvest of other crops planted in spaced rows particularly those growing above or slightly below ground level.
Harvesting machines have been previously used which sever the main stems of plants at or near ground level and transport the vine with the fruit or vegetable attached to a station for separation thereof. Severing means used have included rotatable discs with cutting edges, and conveyors of belt, chain and other types have been used for transporting the produce through various processing operations or directly to containers for storage or shipment.
With crops such as tomatoes there is a special problem in machine harvesting since the fruit must be protected against rough handling which could cause crushing or bruising. In general, harvesting machinery for crops of this type represents some compromise between sturdy or economical apparatus which may damage the produce, and machinery which handles the fruit or vegetables carefully but is proportionately more complicated, expensive and fragile. An associated problem is the tendency of the machine to become clogged with the vines of the crop being harvested, or with weeds or other foreign materials.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide harvesting apparatus which allows automated gathering of crops growing above or close to ground level without substantial damage to relatively fragile fruit, while being simple and economical as well as durable and reliable in operation.
A further object is to provide a novel and improved means for harvesting tomatoes by severing the plants one row at a time and tranporting the fruit laden vines to a separating station.
Still another object is to provide apparatus for digging crops growing a short distance below ground level and loading them on conveyor means for automated pick-up and handling in an improved manner which substantially reduces the liklihood of the machine becoming clogged.
A still further object is to provide harvesting apparatus of the type having a section for picking up the crops from ground level and a further section for additional harvesting operations wherein the two sections are coupled in a manner providing improved operation.
An additional object is to provide a tomato harvesting machine of improved efficiency in picking up and retaining a high percentage of the crop.
Further objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.